Common Sense Media Review
By Michael Berry
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Sci-fi/spy adventure delivers a fast-paced, if silly, plot.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 9+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
Desperate to earn enough money to buy a new video game, Pete Watson holds an impromptu garage sale and mistakenly sells his father's old CommandRoid 85 video game system. What he doesn't realize is that the system is the key to a nefarious plot to hijack the world's computer systems. After Pete's father is kidnapped, Pete must rely on his own wits and the assistance of two friends to prevent a complete digital disaster.
Is It Any Good?
GAME OVER, PETE WATSON careens from one wacky situation to another, leaving logic and character development far behind. That's OK, though, because the book has the cheerful, anarchic spirit of a Looney Tunes short. Author Joe Schreiber keeps the jokes -- about X-Ray Specs, mechanical cockroaches, video games, hypnotism, and much more -- coming thick and fast. Andy Rash's cartoonish black-and-white spot illustrations add an extra layer of pleasing goofiness.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how videogames have become such a big part of popular culture. Why are video games so important to so many kids?
Do parents sometimes hide certain aspects of their lives from their children? When's that a good strategy and when is it not?
Why do teens sometimes act awkwardly when they have a crush on someone?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Andy Rash
- Genre : Science Fiction
- Topics : Adventures , Fantasy ( Magic )
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : HMH Books for Young Readers
- Publication date : March 11, 2014
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 9 - 12
- Number of pages : 210
- Available on : Nook, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : December 3, 2025
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